I just opened and played it, and by God, it's way better than I remembered. That old Hypnotic Herrmann magic in many cues.

Grazi, Senor Lukas, grazi!

Being that I don't have so much as a shipping notice yet, would you be so kind as to write a lengthy review to tide me over?

Why, but of course! It starts out going "Bwong, wong, Bwong wong!" Then it goes "Bwong, wong, Bwong wong!" And it kinda grumbles and growls, and then you hit a cue- I'm too lazy to get up and look- that's really good, hypno Benny.

I just opened and played it, and by God, it's way better than I remembered. That old Hypnotic Herrmann magic in many cues.

Grazi, Senor Lukas, grazi!

Being that I don't have so much as a shipping notice yet, would you be so kind as to write a lengthy review to tide me over?

Why, but of course! It starts out going "Bwong, wong, Bwong wong!" Then it goes "Bwong, wong, Bwong wong!" And it kinda grumbles and growls, and then you hit a cue- I'm too lazy to get up and look- that's really good, hypno Benny.

Did that help?

Absolutely! If I reread that a hundred times, the next week will just fly by.

Ok, that's good. I'll probably have the same reaction, I really do love the music (partially fueled by my love for the movie - hey, I can admit it), and the clips don't sound that bad. My sound quality threshold is the Conan The Destroyer boot, and it doesn't sound anywhere near that.

Mine arrived in my Seattle mail box today. Only had time to listen to the first two tracks, but I'm very happy with what I've heard so far. I would rather have Herrmann's original score in mono than the Laurie Johnson reorchestration in stereo, but that's just me. I haven't heard Herrmann's original since the film was first released, so this will be a treat for me. Thanks to Lukas and FSM!

I've just finished with my first listen of this CD -- and I loved it. This has got to be one of Herrmann's creepiest scores -- if "Psycho" is his black and white score, then "It's Alive" is his arctic circle score -- just freezing, blood curdling, and bone chilling. It is like being purposefully and knowingly drawn down a garden path strewn with horrors one measured step at a time -- I've seldom heard instruments sound so painfully expressive. I think the sound of the CD, in large part, is due to the muted and pinched-in quality of Herrmann's orchestrations -- the viola d'amore wailing with melancholy screeches -- the moog wailing like a drowning baby -- the woodwinds resonating mournfully in the lower reaches of their scales. Just, in my opinion, masterfully done by Herrmann -- and a perfect match for the film. The muted brass in many sections seem so distant -- as if trying to raise some fire of life in vain in this fearful soundscape.

Sorry to be so effusive -- and thanks to Lukas for bringing this score to "life" in all its minimal splendour. One of my favorite Herrmann CDs -- one that I will return to again and again. Splendid, in my opinion.

Just gave this a listen or two, and I'm enjoying it. There are a few spots where the sound is challenging, but I'm sure Lukas and Neil did everything they could to make it listenable. For the most part, it's fine. The liners and packaging look great; the cover is a relief (look at the online version, you can see the edges of the poster against black space; no biggie, five minutes in MS Paint solved it for me) and everything is well-designed. And of course, the music is splendid - I might be a little biased coz I love the film, but it's an underrated work from Herrmann. I keep listening to 'Father Runs With Child / Father Keeps Running With Child' (some of these tracks are being renamed for my iPod), it's such a bizarre action track but I love it!

Thanks for making it happen Lukas and Neil, one of my biggest holy grails has been crossed off the list.

During my first listen I didn't know what to make of this. A bit of an oddity I thought. But I played it again and now I'm warming to it. Sound quality is more acceptable than I expected after hearing the clips. It's dark and meandering, but there's something about it that makes me want to put it on again. Glad I have it.

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Jim, IT'S ALIVE is a powerful score. I much prefer Herrmann's original tracks to the Laurie Johnson adaptation. It would be a great score to have rerecorded, although a complete OBSESSION still tops my soundtrack want list (original tracks and/or a rerecording).

Just saw the movie after buying the score, and I love both. Cohen and Herrmann collaborate to achieve a surprising level of poignancy for what otherwise could have been just a cheapjack horror exploitation movie. The score bears repeated listening.